


Another Brush with Death

by okapifeathers (giratinas)



Category: BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: Drama, F/F, First Dates, Fluff, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-08-28 23:12:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16732464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/giratinas/pseuds/okapifeathers
Summary: Sayo has her first date with Tsugumi tonight - a double date, with Misaki and Kokoro, in fact - and as she's read on the internet, it's important to be yourself, be honest, and be casual. Perfectly casual. Measured. Calculated.Asking Misaki for advice might be her worst idea yet.





	Another Brush with Death

**Author's Note:**

> i have terrible ideas
> 
> a sequel to A Brush With Death, written fast and messy, unedited. i'm back from japan and will be continuing In This Glittering World very soon.

Sayo stared at herself in the mirror as her life flashed before her very eyes.

The recollections of every mistake she had ever made had assaulted her relentlessly since the day she went to the movies with Tsugumi (as per Kokoro’s impromptu arrangement). At the end of that evening, Sayo decided on the spot that she wanted to invite Tsugumi out on a  _ real _ date. The hold-hands-and-eat-dinner-by-candlelight sort of date. Finding the words as she stared directly into two very beautiful brown eyes had been more difficult than she anticipated, and during her brief loss of composure she somehow concluded that she needed to come up with a reason  _ why _ she was asking Tsugumi out other than the fact that she simply enjoyed her company.

Rarely did she ever say anything she would consider to be spontaneous, but this was most definitely one of those things and she felt immediate regret the moment the reason her brain came up with left her lips.

“We should go out,” she’d started, “on a date.”

Tsugumi had smiled and blushed, surely a good sign, but Sayo’s conscience wouldn’t leave her alone. She needed something to blame this entire debacle on if it went south. Something… or someone.

“Yes. Okusawa-san and Tsurumaki-san have invited me to join them on a double date. I thought you might be interested.”

It made sense right? Especially after the episode at the cafe. The idea was half-good, at the very least. Definitely the Misaki half.

Tsugumi said yes of course, even though Sayo wasn’t quite sure if it was out of sympathy, or if she even fully understood that Sayo  _ like _ liked her. Not that she doubted Tsugumi’s intelligence, far from it. Sayo just knew that she had no experience whatsoever in the romance department, and so maybe she wouldn’t exactly be the best at communicating what she wanted.

Ako had called her emotionally stunted once, but Sayo was pretty sure that applied more so to Hina. What did Ako know anyway? The younger Udagawa insisted that she knew what she was talking about because she definitely went on a million dates with Rinko, but further investigation revealed that all of those “dates” took place in online dungeon raids and she was pretty sure that barely even counted.

Two days ago she’d wracked her brain in an attempt to come up with literally anyone she knew who could help her show Tsugumi a perfectly calculated first date in hopes that it would lead to more than one. Unfortunately, just about anyone she could think of that she was close to had… problems. Yukina and Lisa had been dancing around each other for all of eternity, her sister didn’t know if she was dating Aya or not (and Aya seemed just as uncertain), Ako and Rinko didn’t count for aforementioned reasons, and everyone else who seemed even just a little obvious weren’t even actually dating each other at all.

Moca and Ran… they were still playing the “maybe, maybe not” game (not to mention Yukina probably wouldn’t react favourably to Sayo asking Ran’s advice), Tomoe was still oblivious to Himari’s googly eyes, and Chisato spent a majority of her time fending Kaoru off with a broom and some choice words. Arisa and Kasumi were… something...

The only people she knew who were  _ actually _ dating were the people she’d called up last minute after inviting herself on a double date with them that didn’t actually exist.

And one of them was Kokoro. That was bad enough.

This morning, with shaky hands, Sayo had picked up her phone and called Misaki, who was already clearly put off by being roped into the date in the first place. Knowing the DJ’s affinity for saying no to just about everything, Sayo had instead put on her bravest face and called Kokoro to ask about the date so she could jump over Misaki’s head a little easier. It wasn’t very sincere, but she was desperate. Tsugumi was important. She couldn’t fail.

And now she found herself here in her washroom, looking into the mirror and awaiting Misaki’s arrival to help her choose the  _ perfect _ outfit. To come up with the  _ perfect _ one-liners. 

She’d done her own research, starting from the moment she realized she liked Tsugumi romantically. Girls enjoyed casual first dates, witty conversation, and good humor. The most common piece of advice she found was to “be yourself”, so she resolved that she needed to be nothing less than her  _ best _ self, in order to sweep Tsugumi off her feet and make a lasting impression. By the time she was done, she was positive she would have a second date lined up neatly.

Or… maybe she wasn’t so sure. Perfect Sayo could easily catch herself a girl, of all things. All she needed to know was which of the seven perfectly coordinated outfits she’d devised would give her the best chance of doing so. That’s where Misaki would come in. Misaki had been on a first date before, and many more after that, so she’d done something right. Sayo also needed to do it right. It was so obvious. Child’s play. Just do it right.

The doorbell rang and she adjusted her sweater, nodding at herself in the mirror and stepping out of the washroom with purpose. Misaki would be impressed with her dedication.

She opened the front door.

“Yo.” Misaki waved at her. Sayo knew she wasn’t fantastic at reading emotions, but she could tell Misaki was already feeling a little awkward.

“Okusawa-san.” She nodded. “Please come in.”

She stepped aside and Misaki slipped her shoes off in the doorway. She herself didn’t look too prepared for the evening, so it was safe to assume they would need to keep it short and sweet so Misaki could go home and get herself ready.

“So what am I doing again?” Misaki rubbed at the bags under her eyes. “And also why is it me? Don’t you have a twin for this?”

Sayo shook her head, recalling her own thoughts on Hina from a few minutes prior. “Hina is emotionally stunted. I need the assistance of someone who is well put together and experienced in the topic of first dates.”

Misaki snorted and covered her mouth quickly. “Aha, uh, yeah alright. Whatever you say.”

“I don’t see what is so funny. I’m completely serious about this. I want this evening to be perfect for Tsugu- hm, Hazawa-san.”

Misaki shrugged. “It won’t be perfect, it never is. You really shouldn’t worry so much.”

Sayo’s fists balled involuntarily. “I can make it perfect. I just need advice about a few things.”

“Okay, okay. What sort of advice?” Misaki sighed, but smiled nonetheless.

“Come with me.”

Sayo headed down the hall, leading Misaki to her room. Hina was home in the next room over, and maybe Aya was in there too but nobody would be able to tell past the blaring music coming from under the door.

She pushed her own door open.

Laying across her bed were six of the preconstructed outfits she’d chosen, and a seventh was hanging on her closet door. Each one was exactly as casual as it needed to be, with one of them bound to be the  _ most _ casual. Misaki had a good head on her shoulders despite her taste in women. She could be the tiebreaker.

“As you can see, I’ve set out several outfits in an effort to find the perfect one. I have read that it’s important not to be too well dressed, but also not to be underdressed. First impressions will be significant in deciding how the date will progress, so I would like your help to choose which of these ensembles will produce the greatest results.”

She turned to face Misaki, whose mouth was hanging open. Her eyes darted back and forth between Sayo and the clothes on the bed. Had she said something wrong?

“You’re really serious about this, huh?”

“Of course.” Sayo nodded. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Right, right. Well, do you think Tsugumi is sitting in her room thinking the same thing you are?” Misaki shuffled over to Sayo’s desk and sat down in her chair.

“No. She wouldn’t have to. She will look attractive in anything she wears.” Sayo could feel her cheeks turning red. Being frank about such feelings was a new experience. It was part of her honesty practice.

“Yeah, so do you think she’ll care what you show up in?”

“What will you be wearing? I’m curious to know how you prepare for your dates with Tsurumaki-san.” Sayo chose to avoid Misaki’s question, unwilling to believe that she could simply show up in  _ anything _ and look appealing, as Tsugumi definitely could.

Misaki’s eye widened a little and she looked down at herself, slouched in the chair. “Uh, probably this?”

What Misaki was wearing could hardly be considered appropriate dating attire. Sweatpants, a tank top, and an oversized black hoodie with the sleeves rolled up. It looked… it looked like…

“You look like you’re wearing what you woke up in this morning.” Sayo couldn’t hold back the distaste in her voice. “You’re going to wear that?”

“Technically I woke up in it this evening, right before you called me.”

Preposterous.

“You’re wearing  _ that _ on the date?”

“I could show up in a potato sack and Kokoro would be thrilled.”

Sayo put a hand to her forehead, feeling a headache coming on. “You’re an enigma, the both of you. What did you wear on your first date?”

Misaki laughed a little. “Clothes, probably. I don’t really remember because it was a disaster."

“A disaster?” Sayo looked down at her. “But you’re still together.”

“A disaster,” Misaki confirmed, “ I was so nervous I left my wallet at home, and when I was halfway there again I realized I was about to go on a date with the only child of a pair of trillionaires and had a panic attack in the middle of the sidewalk.”

“Oh.” Was all Sayo could come up with. She had to know more. “What happened after that?”

Misaki crossed her arms and leaned back.

“Well, eventually Kokoro called me and managed to work out where I was through all my anxious babbling. She picked me up and offered to have the restaurant deliver something to her room instead, but I insisted we go out properly and did my best to calm down on the ride there.”

Sayo leaned back on the corner of her bed, disregarding the clothes. She was already feeling much better about what she considered to be a dire situation. If she expected anything, it wasn’t this.

Misaki picked at her sweatpants. “The first thing I did at the restaurant was spill an entire glass of water on myself. My palms were too sweaty.”

She held up her hands. “You seem like the sweaty palm type too, so try to keep a good grip on anything you pick up.”

Sayo nodded, tucking that note away for later.

“Anyway, the whole menu was in French and I was too nervous to ask Kokoro,  _ who can speak French _ , what I was ordering. To this day I still have no idea what I ate, but I know that some of it was snails and the snails did not agree with my stomach at all.”

“So what did you do?” Sayo was intrigued now, fully immersed in Misaki’s story. Never had she thought a date could go so wrong, yet also somehow right. How could Misaki even bare to look Kokoro in the eye? If that happened to her she would be reluctant to even attempt to be friends with Tsugumi. She couldn’t stand the thought of failing so completely.

“I didn’t do anything. I suffered all night, and when we got back to Kokoro’s house she held my hair out of my face while I threw up in her toilet. It was very romantic.”

Sayo’s hand flew to her mouth, partially in disbelief and partially in disgust. A horrific ending. How did they survive it?

“Tsurumaki-san must have been... disappointed. How did you recover?”

Misaki snorted. “When I was done tossing up the snails I broke and told her what happened with the menu and why she found me hyperventilating next to a seven-eleven. She laughed and said it was just like me to be so stubborn and more worried about the logistics of dating her than actually enjoying our time together.”

“It’s a legitimate concern.”

“Maybe, but not right now. I was so worried about what might happen that I let it ruin our night before I even left my house. I don’t want you to do the same thing.”

Misaki’s expression softened as she finished her harrowing tale. Her concern was obvious, and still Sayo didn’t quite understand it.

“I don’t have any problems as dramatic as… yours. I only wanted your opinion on what I should wear.”

The desk chair creaked as Misaki stood up and sighed. “That’s not really… I mean, I’m just trying to say that you shouldn’t be worried about what to wear of all things. Just wear what you’re in now.”

Sayo looked down at herself. A white blouse, tidy jeans. If she threw on some jewelry then it could probably pass as something she put effort into, but didn’t try too hard to come up with. Yet of course, here she was with someone she barely interacted with, still debating with herself all the while.

“I don’t want to show up in a potato sack.” Sayo mumbled, before realizing she’d said it out loud.

Misaki followed up with laughter and a roll of her eyes. “Don’t worry, you and Hazawa-san aren’t going to end up like me and Kokoro. I mean like, in the disaster sort of way. Hazawa-san is totally normal so you’re already ahead of the game.”

Sayo’s nose wrinkled. “Totally normal?”

Her company took a step back, waving her hands. “Aha, uh, I mean it in a good way. Like the opposite of Kokoro? Even though I clearly prefer abnormal… um, well, you know what I mean?”

Misaki was almost as confusing as Kokoro was. Maybe it was a mistake to ask her, despite the value she was beginning to see in the story of her first date. Both of them were strange, and it reflected on their actions, so perhaps they were doomed from the start. Was she doomed too? No, she couldn’t be. Tsugumi was… exceptional.

“Hazawa-san is anything but normal. She is beyond kind and understanding, and no determination can rival hers.”

Misaki nodded. “I understand, you see special things in her that nobody else does, at least not in the same way. I’m not trying to downplay that. I’m just saying you have less to, uh, deal with. You know, all the lights are on upstairs and all that.”

Sayo’s lights turned on too, finally. “Ah, because Tsurumaki-san is-”

“Slow.” Misaki finished. “Let’s pretend you were going to say slow.”

Sayo bit her lip. “That’s fair.”

“And she probably sees special things in you and all that mushy stuff. I’m bad at this. Bottom line is that she already wants to do this and what you wear won’t change that.”

Sayo crossed her arms and let out a reluctant sigh. “Fine. So I wear this. I show up, and Tsugumi will be there. What do I do after that?”

Misaki looked around the room, clearly lost. “You… you go on the date?”

“And how will I impress her?”

“Impress her?”

“Yes,” Sayo nodded as she recalled her research. “Discussion forums on the internet imply that I’ll have to be suave and humorous, and that I should do something to ‘sweep her off her feet’. I’m not sure what there is that I could do.”

Misaki sat back down. “You’ve lost me. Did you just google ‘how to get a girlfriend’ or something?”

“Essentially.” Sayo looked away. What else was she supposed to do when she had nowhere else to turn? “I thought that I could learn how to do this right in the same way that I learned to play guitar, or how to bake. What did Tsurumaki-san do to impress you?”

It was a genuine question, but for some reason Misaki pulled an odd face, as if she were in some kind of discomfort. 

“It’s kind of personal. She didn’t really do any one thing that made me think ‘oh yeah, she’s the one’.”

“So then how did your affections come about?” Sayo pushed, a little more desperate to draw comparisons with her than she expected she would be.

Misaki sunk into the chair and looked at her lap, a hint of a smile turning up. 

“I spend a lot of time with Kokoro and I see a lot of what nobody else does. I can’t really explain it all that well but… have you ever felt like you were just drifting around, without any purpose? There were a lot of times where I felt like I was just some below average, mediocre student with no redeeming qualities.”

“Like you could never be good enough?” Sayo couldn’t help herself. Her insecurities were still ever-present, at the forefront of her thoughts whenever Tsugumi wasn’t on her mind.

“Kind of like that. I had nothing to want to be good at, even.” She looked up from her lap and gave Sayo a full-blown smile. “Sometimes someone comes along, plucks your sorry ass out of your own misery, and shows you where you belong. They show you all of the good things about yourself. Do you feel that way when you look at Hazawa-san?”

A good question. What  _ did _ she feel when she saw her, besides overwhelming nervousness and embarrassment? Her thoughts were difficult to parse in the moment, so many feelings came all at once and the sensation wasn’t easy to describe, even in her head. 

Tsugumi was reassurance that Sayo could still be Sayo in all of her mannerisms, even where others might tell her she had to do something differently or balk at her for acting out of norm. Nobody else used a ruler when they baked, but Tsugumi had bought her a nice one just for the kitchen when they’d gone out to the knick-knack shop together.

Tsugumi was proof that Sayo was not struggling alone to find her place, even amongst her friends where she already felt at home. Even with her childhood friends, Tsugumi still yearned to become better and find where she truly belonged, feeling as though she’d been cast aside by more talented companions despite her own very obvious skills. Not just in her music, but in her drive to understand others for who they were and not who they thought they needed to become.

Others like Sayo, who told herself time and time again that she wasn’t good enough, would never be good enough. Tsugumi didn’t tell her she was fine or that she could just give up trying to improve because she was already there. She didn’t mock Sayo for trying her best to be perfect, to be precise and deliberate in everything she strived to accomplish. Tsugumi looked at Sayo and told her she  _ understood _ . She knew because they were the same. They both felt overshadowed.

What Sayo loved most about Tsugumi was her modesty, and how she strove to overcome it. To make herself stand out, in her own way.

“Hikawa-san?”

Misaki’s voice snapped her from her thoughts.

“Hm?”

They were silent for a few moments, both taking turns glancing at the outfits laying across the bed. 

Sayo lifted the sleeve of a sweater in her palm and ran her thumb across the soft wool. “Things like this don’t matter, then. I’ve wasted a lot of time worrying about something that won’t make a difference.”

“Well,” Misaki tilted her head to the side, “is it really a waste if you learned something? Not that I’m assuming or anything, but you zoned out pretty good for a while.”

Sayo nodded. “Tsurumaki-san makes you feel like the best version of yourself just by being there. I have to trust that Tsugumi will continue to do the same for me, like she already has. I feel ashamed to have forgotten what she’s already done for me.”

“It’s just nerves. They’ll go away when you drop food down your shirt at dinner and you realize you’re only human.” Misaki offered.

“Why do I sense that this has happened to you before? How much worse does it get for you?”

“I once spent three hours pulling Hagumi’s pre-chewed gum out of Kokoro’s hair so she wouldn’t have to cut any off. You get used to it.”

Sayo had to focus incredibly hard not to physically recoil. “I don’t think I’ll ever have to go that far.”

Misaki shrugged and pulled out her phone. “As fun as this is, if we don’t get going soon we’re both going to be late.”

With a nod, Sayo stood and took a deep breath. She would go as she was, then. The butterflies in her stomach took flight as she realized the full implications of what she was going to do tonight. Letting someone else into her life, who she actually wanted there, and who she hoped she would spend most of her time with in the future.

She’d have to introduce her to family, tell the band, memorize important dates like anniversaries and set her music aside when the time came. They were both so young. Was she ready?

“Do you have any last words of advice, Okusawa-san?” Sayo couldn’t help but ask as they put their shoes on by the door.

“If she asks you if you like dogs or cats better, it’s a trick question and you should say both are good. If she asks you to go skydiving on your second date, say no.”

Right. Well, if anything Sayo could take solace in knowing that she wasn’t and never would be Misaki. Dying early wasn’t on her list of things to do anytime soon.

 

\---

 

When Sayo and Misaki arrived at the front doors of the restaurant (a classic dinner date of Sayo’s choosing), Kokoro and Tsugumi were already there talking quietly amongst themselves.

Within seconds of noticing them, Kokoro had thrown herself into Misaki’s arms, proving very difficult to keep hold of whilst clad in what could only be described as a ball gown. Red, gold, and more over the top than even Sayo had expected. Her ensemble was completed by Misaki’s previously absent cap, and the combination looked nothing short of terrible.

“I was worried about what to wear to this,” Sayo whispered to Tsugumi, “but now I see how foolish that was.”

Tsugumi held a hand to her mouth to hide her giggles. “They certainly are a little strange. Happiness is what matters most in the end, though.”

“Of course. And Tsugumi…”

She cursed herself for pausing, but she needed a few seconds to compose herself and find her courage. She had a feeling it would take her some time to get used to...this.

“You look wonderful. Exceptional.”

“Oh?” She blushed and clasped her hands together. “But I look the same every day!”

“Exceptional every day, then.” Sayo smiled at her. “Don’t be nervous.”

“Do as she says and not as she does,” Misaki stepped in, “she spent like four hours picking what to wear today.”

“ _ Okusawa _ .” Sayo ground out, feeling the heat in her stomach jump to her cheeks. Tsugumi snorted beside her, clearly amused.

“Did you really?”

“No.” 

Sayo chose to ignore the pitch of her voice, mysteriously much higher than it had been only seconds ago. Would this be the part where everything backfired?

“Okay!” Kokoro twirled around in her dress for no apparent reason. “Time for Misaki and I to go! Good luck Sayo, but mostly good luck Tsugumi!”

Sayo’s mouth hung open and she looked back and forth between them. “W-what? Go?”

“But I thought you guys planned this?” Tsugumi blinked, just as lost as Sayo. “Am I missing something?”

Misaki looked Sayo directly in the eyes. “You really want to eat dinner across from this?” She pointed at Kokoro and then herself, “on your first date?”

“But you… but I…” Sayo couldn’t find the words. Was she being...set up?

“If I talk about snails Misaki gets mad,” Kokoro held her hands behind her back innocently.

“I’m still so very confused. I thought you wanted us to come out with you?” Tsugumi mumbled.

“We’re going.” Misaki tugged on Kokoro’s arm and pulled her down the sidewalk, leaving their companions in the dust. 

“Bye Sayo!” Kokoro waved at them. “Sorry you got played! Don’t be Misaki!”

Sayo and Tsugumi stood there together, watching them until the bright red of Kokoro’s dress vanished around a corner.

“Don’t be Misaki?” Tsugumi prodded. “Do you know what’s going on?”

Nodding, Sayo turned to her date and did her best to squash her butterflies. “Unfortunately I do. I’ll explain everything over dinner, and then we can begin planning.”

“Planning!” Tsugumi pumped her fist, determination sweeping across her face. “We can do that! I’m with you all the way! But what are we planning?”

Glancing back in the direction the other two had disappeared in, Sayo narrowed her eyes and took Tsugumi’s hand.

“ _ Revenge. _ ”


End file.
